Going Home
by Zar
Summary: Ug, can someone please tell me 3 things? 1- Why do all my fics take place after Spike left in the Real Folk Blues, 2- Why they revolve around Faye, and 3- Why all my fics have two chapters.
1. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer- I dont own Cowboy Bebop in any way, I only made up(if you call using someone's  
  
b-day that) the month and day Spike Spiegel died and his favorite bird. If youve seen the last few episodes, you all know who Sally Yung is.  
  
Uh, one more thing, please dont ask me how Faye got to Earth before Spike got killed or how she knew what his fav. bird was.  
  
  
  
The Beginning of The End  
  
Faye Valentine had showed up at the door asking if she could stay for a while. Sally Yung, the owner of the house, just had to let her stay. Before Sally had left to go purchase groceries so dinner would be ready by the time her family got home, she told Faye to make herself comfortable, so, Faye had made herself a cup of tea and was currently sitting on the back steps of the mansion.  
  
Not more than a few yards away, an old wood-post fence stood, the fence of a horse's field. The old chestnut colored gelding was nowhere in sight. Faye picked a particular post and stared at it like it was the cause of all her problems. She was positively glaring at it. Spike was gone now. Not dead(yet), just gone. She could feel it. It was like lingering feeling in the back of her mind.  
  
'I guess that happens when you're in love with someone,' she thought. "I hate that jerk!" she then yelled, her eyes never leaving the rotting wood. "He only cares about himself and Julia, no one else!"  
  
She heard an odd noise and peeled her eyes away from the post to see the old horse standing at the edge of the fence closest to her.  
  
"Now where did you come from all of the sudden?" she asked the animal. His eyes held a sorrow and pain that was almost unbearable. Faye turned her eyes away from the creature and looked towards a new sound. The bitter sweet song of a cardinal. 'A cardinal...'she let the thought linger, staring at the beautiful red bird that was sitting on the branch of a nearby tree and wondering why the feeling in the back of her mind was fading quickly.  
  
"...Spike's favorite bird!"she quietly exclaimed to the horse. 'Why am I making such a big deal of this, its just a bird after all!' she told herself. She was trying to ignore the fact that her hands were shaking badly and the feeling in the back of her mind was gone completely now.  
  
Rays from the sun were stretched and images were blurred as she finally realized, or rather, let herself realize, that something was terribly wrong.  
  
She stood up quickly and the fragile mug she had been holding in her trembling hands smashed to pieces on the ground. She didnt bother to wipe the tears from her eyes as she scribbled a note to Sally, explaining the mess and why she had to leave so soon. And that she was sorry.  
  
She got into the Redtail and flew to the area around Mars where she had last seen the Bebop.  
  
The hanger doors closed behind her as she landed her little ship. Her tears had dried by now, leaving dark little streaks on her face. When Jet came in to ask her why she had returned so soon, she knew it was obvious that she had been crying, but she could care less.  
  
"Spike's dead!" was all she could manage to utter.  
  
  
  
********************  
  
The whole thing with the cardinal and horse actually happened when someone I know passed away. I didnt actually experience this event, but her husband did. He's who I heard it from. I only added a few details, like the whole Faye 'feeling' Spike and all the sorrow in the horse's eyes(truthfully, I dont even know what the horse actually looks like) The cardinal was this person's favorite bird. Pretty much, this whole fic was based on CB but I just wanted to express how amazed I am that such a thing happened in real life. Just thought you ought to know that. 


	2. A Place Called Heaven and a Place Called...

A Place called heaven and a Place called Hell, A place called Zacharia and a Place called Home  
  
Faye was sitting on Spike's bed, staring at the opaque wall in front of her when Jet snapped her out of her deep thought.  
  
"Come on or we'll be late,"he said, like a father would to a child. Faye's only imediate reaction was to mumble 'mmhmm' and continue staring at the wall. Jet sighed and headed for the hanger where his small ship, the Hammerhead, sat.  
  
Faye finally stood up and walked out of the room, picking something up off the nightstand and stuffing the small object in the inside pocket of her black jacket, left for the surface of Mars.  
  
  
  
Zacharia. Thats what the sign said. 'Zacharia Funeral Home.' The board on the outside of the door read simply,  
  
'Spike Spiegel, Calling, 6-26-44 - 4 -19-71.'  
  
They stepped into the place. It was mostly empty. Not many people that knew and cared enough about Spike to come to his Calling were alive. Those who were there didnt look sad at all. They looked completely happy. All were telling jokes and drinking martinis. Not one person looked depressed. Except for Jet and Faye.  
  
Jet offered to hang Faye's coat for her but she refused. She felt that the cheery mood of the room was disturbing and that made her shiver. She pulled the coat around her tightly with one hand as she signed her name in the open book with the other. She then headed for the room ahead. When she stepped in, she nearly panicked. There were so few people but they were so crowded and loud that she suddenly felt very shy.  
  
Then, she turned her head to the left to see a half open casket. Tears brimmed her eyes but she wouldnt let them fall, not in front of complete strangers, as she made her way to it. When she reached the casket, she saw that Spike's hair was combed out and slicked back. Anger flared up inside her. 'We told that guy not to mess with his hair!' she yelled inwardly. 'At least they kept his suit on him and not some moth eaten tux.' she thought as she ruffled his hair so it poofed out of its 'rich-famous' form and back into that wonderful messy fro that had made her melt in her shoes so many times before.  
  
She stood up and reached in her purse. She pulled out a fresh pack of ciggarates and a brand new lighter. She tucked them into his breast pocket.  
  
"Just until you quit up there," she said, "So make 'em last."  
  
Faye began to walk away when she remembered something. She turned back to Spike and pulled a small, flat object out of her coat pocket. She pulled the dangling cross from his limp hands and placed a small, framed picture of Julia in his hand instead. That's when she noticed the stitched design on the inside of the lid. It was of some birds flying. The words stitched there said, 'Going home'. She gave a sad smile as she whispered.  
  
"Just incase you dont find her for a while."  
  
  
  
Going home at last, Space Cowboy. 


End file.
